Reno sits in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada, so the weather is dry, sunny and sharp in its swings between seasons and between day and night. These figures are the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Reno-Tahoe International Airport station, which are the standard reference for what is typical.
Month by month
The table gives the average high and low temperature in degrees Fahrenheit, precipitation in inches and snowfall in inches for each month.
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47.7 | 26.1 | 1.25 | 5.2 |
| February | 52.1 | 29.0 | 1.03 | 5.2 |
| March | 59.2 | 34.0 | 0.80 | 2.9 |
| April | 64.7 | 38.5 | 0.44 | 0.4 |
| May | 74.1 | 46.6 | 0.55 | 0.1 |
| June | 84.6 | 53.8 | 0.41 | 0.0 |
| July | 93.9 | 60.4 | 0.20 | 0.0 |
| August | 92.1 | 58.1 | 0.24 | 0.0 |
| September | 83.8 | 50.3 | 0.21 | 0.0 |
| October | 70.4 | 39.7 | 0.50 | 0.1 |
| November | 56.7 | 31.0 | 0.62 | 1.8 |
| December | 46.7 | 25.7 | 1.10 | 5.2 |
Summer: hot days, cool nights
July is the hottest month, with an average high near 94 and an average low near 60. The normals count 23.9 days at 90 or above in July, 21.8 in August and 10.2 in June. The gap between afternoon and early morning is about 33 degrees in midsummer, so a house cools quickly once the sun drops. June has the longest days: on June 15 the sun rises about 5:31 am and sets about 8:27 pm in Sparks, giving close to 15 hours of daylight.
Winter: cold nights and a few snow days
December and January are nearly identical, with average lows of 25.7 and 26.1. Freezing nights occur on about 26 days in January and 27 in December. Snow of at least a tenth of an inch falls on roughly 3 days in each of December, January and February, and the airport records about 14 such days a year. Daylight is short, with about 9.4 hours on December 15.
The valley gets less snow than the mountains around it. If your move crosses a pass, the winter driving page is the one to read.
Spring and fall
March, April and May climb from 59 to 74 degrees, and the last freezing nights usually come in April or early May, with the normals showing 7.4 freezing days in April and 0.7 in May. October brings highs in the low 70s and 5.4 freezing nights, and November returns the chill with 19.3. These shoulder seasons are popular for moves because a truck is not working in the hottest or iciest weather.
What it means for your belongings
A dry climate affects furniture and plants more than people expect. Wood can shrink and crack in low humidity, and houseplants from humid states often need more water. A planned move in July or August calls for shaded staging for boxes of candles, vinyl records and electronics, while a January move calls for a plan for ice and wet snow at the loading door.
The best time to move guide and the month pages from January to December go through each season in detail, and the moving weather calendar puts the numbers in one place.